Visionary
by evieeden
Summary: When Jacob kissed Bella on the mountain top, she caught a glimpse of their future together. Advent story written for 20th December.


**Happy 20****th**** December everyone. So apparently yesterday's story wasn't happy enough for some people's liking, but hopefully this one will make up for it by being especially cheery. Anyway, I hope you all like it.**

**Lots of love to idealskeptic for betaing yet another one of these sotries for me. As per usual, I don't own Twilight.**

**Visionary**

When she drove up to the small red house, Bella wasn't surprised to find the whole pack, including Emily and Billy, waiting outside with looks of torment on their faces.

She knew that Jacob was hurt, but Alice and Edward had reassured her that he was going to be okay, so the anguish coating everyone's expression seemed out of place.

She quickly pulled her truck into park and then jumped out of the cab, half-running towards the gathered crowd.

"Hey -" she began, only for her voice to cut off abruptly at the tortured scream that rent through the air from inside the house.

Everyone flinched at the sound and Billy sucked in a deep, shuddering breath, gripping Emily's hand tightly for support.

Bella paled. He sounded in so much pain, and yet she knew that Carlisle was in there treating him, so what was going on?

As if he heard her thoughts, Paul answered her. "Doc's having to re-break his bones."

There was another scream and then silence. The pack held its breath.

Carlisle emerged from the house followed by a grim-looking Sam, and for the first time since Bella had met him, the older vampire looked tired. "I've given him some painkillers but his temperature is burning them off too fast. I'll be back later to set up an IV for him," he addressed the crowd.

He started to walk down the driveway towards where his car was parked, only to be halted by Billy's outstretched hand.

"Thank you."

Bella knew how much it cost the tribe's chief to allow a Cold One onto the reservation, let alone be polite to him, but Billy was a father first and foremost, and this was the man that had helped treat his injured son.

It appeared the worth of the gesture was not lost on Carlisle and he smiled warmly before shaking the other man's hand silently.

He then turned to Bella. "You should go on. He's asking for you."

Bella's heart warmed slightly at the knowledge that even as badly as she had messed up, Jacob still wanted to see her. She glanced towards Billy and then Sam first though; even if Jake had wanted to see her, she was well aware that his father and his pack were also anxious to reassure themselves that he was safe and healing.

Thankfully, Billy tilted his head at her, murmuring for her to go inside. She was almost to the door when Carlisle called out to her as he left.

"We'll see you later, Bella."

She spun back around quickly, nearly losing her balance as she did. This wasn't the way she wanted him to find out, but at the same time she couldn't let him go back to the Cullens' house without some warning.

"Carlisle."

She shook her head almost imperceptibly; such a tiny movement that only a vampire would be able to see it.

Carlisle's face went blank for a split second before it returned to an impassive mask. "He knows?"

"He knows," she confirmed.

"I'll leave you to your visit," he stated after a second's pause. "Take care when driving back later tonight."

That was the one thing about Carlisle that Bella loved; he always understood and never judged.

In a blink he was gone and she turned back to the curious faces waiting outside the red house. She blushed at their scrutiny. "I should go and see Jake now."

They wordlessly moved aside as one and she walked through the warm bodies into the house and along to Jacob's bedroom. Taking a deep breath, Bella knocked lightly on the door and then pushed it open. She gasped at her first glimpse of Jacob, her hand flying up to clasp over her mouth.

"Oh, Jake. Look at you."

He lay there in his too-small bed, the entire right side of his body strapped up in bandages, and sweat beading along his forehead from the strain of recuperating. Bella crossed the room quickly and sank down onto the floor next to the bed. She reached out to touch him, but paused, her hand held in the air, unsure where to rest it that wouldn't hurt him. In the end she settled for brushing his hair back from his face.

"Hey." He attempted to smile at her, but looked vaguely dazed instead.

"Are you in much pain?" she asked.

He went to shake his head and then thought better of it. "Your leech doctor fixed me up with some pretty good drugs. The room's kind of spinning right now though." He pulled a face. "Still, I need something to numb all the pain I've got heading my way, right?"

Bella frowned. "What are you talking about?"

Jake's eyes slid away from hers. "You asked me to kiss you, Bella, and I know that you love me. But I saw the look on your face afterwards. I get it. I always knew I was fighting a losing battle, but I had to try. I couldn't let you go without trying."

"Let me go?" Bella shook her head vigorously. "Jake, you don't have to let me go. I'm not going anywhere."

His eyes, which had drifted shut, popped open again.

"What do you mean?"

Bella struggled to put the decision she had made earlier that day into words. "You don't have to let me go, or say goodbye or anything like that. I'm here to stay, Jake... permanently."

He stared at her blankly for a few minutes and Bella couldn't help fidgeting awkwardly under his gaze.

"You're messing with me. You're only saying this because I'm hurt and you feel bad that I nearly died today. It's so typical of you, Bella. But don't worry; I promise not to do anything stupid just because you broke my heart."

"No, no, no, no. Jake!" Bella ran her hand through his hair again, trying to soothe him. "I'm not here for that. God, that would be so cruel. I'm here to stay, Jake. I'm here to stay with you." She bit her lip and then suddenly realised that she should make sure that her presence was actually welcome. "I mean, I am if you want me to be. I'll... I'll understand if you want me to go away again after everything."

Jake was silent for a minute and Bella's nerves increased.

"You've changed your mind. That's okay. I totally understand," she babbled, heat rising through her face. She shouldn't have made the assumption that he still wanted her. After how she had treated him before, she should have known that it was too much to hope that she hadn't left it too late.

Bella scrambled to her feet. "I should go. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have... Feel better soon."

She took a step towards the door, only to be halted by a strong hand clamping over her wrist.

"Stop!" Jacob ordered.

She turned slowly back to him.

He tugged on her arm again, his brow furrowed with pain, and she realised that his grip on her arm, holding her in place, must be hurting him. Taking his hand gently from her arm, she slowly lowered it back down to his side and knelt down next to him once again. He was panting now with the exertion of reaching for her and she leaned over to press her forehead against his, stroking his cheek with her thumb.

"Ssshh, don't do that. You don't have to do that. I'm not going anywhere, I promise."

Jake's teeth gritted as he fought off the pain, but he eventually gave her a short nod. "Okay, yeah. Won't try that again."

"Hang on." Bella stood up again. "I'll just go and get you some water and maybe more painkillers if I can find any. I'll be right back, I promise."

Jake looked like he wanted to protest, but eventually he gave another nod.

Bella had barely made a move to get up though when Carlisle came back through the door.

"I hope you don't mind my interrupting. I heard you mention pain medication and I thought it would be an opportune time to put that IV drip in Jacob." He worked quickly and efficiently and then turned to Bella. "I've made up some extras for you. I assume you'll be here during the night." He handed her a box filled with small bottles and some clean needles. "Because I don't know how fast he's going to burn off the medication, I'd stick to injecting one of these, here, every two hours approximately." He showed Bella where to inject the pain medicine. "I wouldn't recommend any more until I know how his body's handling it."

With a smile and nod to Jacob and a pat on the shoulder to Bella, he was gone again. The two of them could hear him speaking to Billy in the kitchen.

"Woah. This stuff's good."

Looking back at Jacob, Bella smiled at the drunken grin on his face.

"It looks like it."

He blinked slowly at her. "So now that I'm feeling no pain anymore, how about you tell me why you're here and not with the leech?"

"Jacob." Her warning was half-hearted.

He beckoned her to sit on the edge of his bed and cautiously, she did. Bella picked up his hand and laced her fingers through his. She needed the contact with him, needed to just sit here and feel grateful that he was alive and here with her.

"Well?" he prompted.

She wrinkled her nose and glanced towards the door. "Is Carlisle...?"

She hesitated, not sure how to ask if they were alone without it seeming like she still cared what the Cullens' thought of her actions. Luckily, Jake seemed to know what she meant.

"He's gone. No-one here but me, you and dad, although from the sounds of it, he's decided to go to bed and leave us alone."

Bella nodded but remained silent. Jake waited patiently for her explanation but after a while, his blinks got longer, until his eyes were more shut than open.

"This can wait until tomorrow," Bella finally said. "You're exhausted."

"No!" He shook himself awake. "I'm totally listening."

She didn't entirely believe him, but decided to take him at his word.

"You wanted me to have a choice," she began. "You wanted me to know that I had another choice other than Edward. That's why you got me to kiss you, right?"

"I wanted you to know that you had options. That he, _Edward_," he nearly spat out the name, "wasn't the only one who loved you and would do anything for you." He looked almost embarrassed to admit the depth of his feelings and Bella cupped his cheek again, smiling fondly at him.

"I mean, I don't have his money or his cars or anything," he stuttered. "I can't afford to take you all over the world. I don't even know if I'm going to be able to leave La Push any time in the future."

Bella started to protest at that, but he hushed her.

"But at the same time, I can love you without sucking the life out of you at the same time. With me there would be no changing, you wouldn't have to leave your family, Charlie, your friends behind. You could live! I had to try and make you see. I could be your future, not your death."

Tears pricked at Bella's eyes.

"I did see," she whispered. "I kissed you up there on the mountain and I saw our future, Jake. I saw it and it took my breath away." She kept her eyes on her hands. "I wanted that future so badly. That's why I'm not with Edward. I broke up with him before I came here. I didn't want to be with him anymore. That's why I'm here with you. I want to be with you, Jake. I choose you, not him. _You_."

Bella held her breath. She couldn't tell what Jacob was thinking, whether he would even accept her now.

But she wanted him to. She longed for him to. That future had been so clear, so close to her reach, and she wanted it with a fury and a passion that she had never felt before, not even for Edward.

She wanted that relationship with Jake, that feeling that being with him would be as easy as breathing, and yet it wasn't easy at all. She had seen the passion, the love, the hardship and the friendship that had been a part of their lives. She had seen the fights, the make ups, the tears, the laughter and the joy. She had felt every inch of that future in one kiss and it was breathtaking.

She wanted it, and she wanted it all with Jake by her side. In that moment, she had never known how much she wanted to live before.

But he had to want it too.

He had to want her still.

Jake coughed roughly. "You saw our future?"

She nodded. "It was beautiful."

His eyes searched her face. "What did you see?" It was barely a whisper, as if he didn't want to break whatever spell they both were under.

She shifted down onto the bed, so she was half-lying next to him, her face level with his.

"I saw us. I saw our future together." She blinked back tears. "We were so happy, Jake, so happy. I saw -" Her voice caught and she had to swallow several times to get rid of the lump in her throat.

"What did you see?" he prompted her.

They leaned closer together, their bodies automatically drawing closer to each other. Jacob ran his fingers over the skin of her arm, the only place he could reach.

"I saw our family." She spoke the words in a hushed voice, as if speaking too loudly would break the illusion she could see so clearly in her mind's eye. "I saw our children, Jacob. You, and me, and three small children. They were so beautiful and they were ours."

He appeared just as enchanted by the idea of their children as she did.

"We were a family, Jake. You and I were in love and we had a family, and we were so happy."

"A family?" he repeated.

"Our family," she confirmed. "I want them. I want you, Jake!" She blushed again. "If you'll still have me, of course."

Her heart sank when he didn't reply, the silence growing between them.

Bella could feel him slipping away from her, the strength of their future wavering in her mind.

"Please." She was almost begging. "I love you, Jake. I chose you."

She squeezed her eyes shut to try and hold back her tears. She had seen it all too late; she had made her decision too late.

Warm, dry lips pressed against hers and Bella let out a relieved sob. Jake shifted his left hand across his body, and cupped her cheek before kissing her again.

"I love you too," he stated confidently. "Always. And I'm so happy that you chose me."

"I love you," she said again. It was important to her that he knew that, that she told him it time and time again, especially as she had been torn between him and Edward for so long in the past. She wanted him to be in no doubt that he was the one that she chose.

They kissed again and this time their embrace got a little more passionate. Wrapping his arm around her, Jake attempted pull Bella on top of him, only to let out a bellow of pain as he did.

"Oh my God." Bella scrambled off him, her hands hovering over his body but unsure where to rest them that wouldn't cause him more pain. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry, Jake."

"It's okay," he tried to reassure her through gritted teeth.

"Jake," she chided him, and he grimaced.

"Okay, so I'm not okay, but I know I'll feel better if you come back and lie next to me again. You know, instead of on top of me."

Bella's resolve to let him get some rest and recovery wavered at the puppy dog eyes he was shooting at her.

"I should go. Charlie will be waiting for me." She didn't move.

"No, he won't," Jake argued. "He knew you were coming here and it's too late for you to drive back to Forks now. You'll definitely have to stay here."

A smile twitched at Bella's lips at Jacob's self-serving logic. She was easily convinced though.

"Okay, I'll stay."

Slowly, carefully, she lowered herself back down onto the bed next to him, kicking off her shoes as she did.

Jacob managed a cheeky grin. "You sure you don't want to kick your pants off too."

Bella mock glared at him. "You're awfully confident all of a sudden," she commented.

"Bella." Jake shook his head lightly. "You're here, you're in my bed, and you've just told me that you've chosen me, left the leech for me, and that you love me. Why wouldn't I be confident?"

She rolled her eyes at him but couldn't stop her smile. "Because you're not getting my pants off anytime soon, that's why."

Jake stroked her cheek again, his eyes sliding closed as sleep began to fog his brain.

"Not now maybe, but soon."

"Soon?" Bella was confused and a little taken aback by his certainty. Yes, the idea of sex of with him was appealing, but it was also something she thought wouldn't happen until they were further along with their relationship.

"Yep." He smiled beatifically, his eyes still closed. "You said you saw us with three kids. We'll need to start practicing for them."

A burst of laughter escaped Bella, and Jacob chuckled along with her, until, with a sigh, he lapsed into unconsciousness.

Kissing him fondly on the forehead, Bella snuggled down next to him.

Their children. Their future.

She couldn't wait for it to start, the man next to her by her side.

And as she drifted off to sleep, her vision began to bloom into life.


End file.
